If Music Be the Food of Love
by Catie-Cat
Summary: Play On. Ghost in the Mirror Challenge Fic. Cloud and Aeris are in rival bands, but find themselves torn between blooming feelings for each other, and loyalty to their bands. M for Language, Adult Content, Drug Content. Mostly Cleris, lil Cloti, Zafa.
1. Who's Who Plot Details

If Music Be the Food of Love…

Ghost in the Mirror Challenge Fic. Cloud and Aeris are in rival bands, but find themselves torn between blooming feelings for each other, and loyalty to their bands.

Who's Who:

Aeris - Lead singer of The Last Cetra, an underground rock group. She also plays guitar, piano, and violin. Her singing voice is Pat Benetar + Imogen Heap + Tori Amos. She is quiet and sweet, but also relentlessly stubborn. She is being mismanaged, but she doesn't have the confidence to demand what she deserves. She has a slight obsession with candy, hats, and being barefoot. She loves flowers.

Cloud -Lead singer of Strife 7, an alternative rock band. He also plays lead guitar. His singing voice is like Johnny Rzeznik of The GooGoo dolls with the vocal stylings of Steven Tyler (Aerosmith, as if I needed to say it). He's been topping the charts for awhile, and his manger is really pushing him in the 'bad boy' direction.

The Last Cetra - Aeris's Band. Has been gaining popularity for two years over the internet but only signed a record deal a year ago. They perform folk rock, covers of classic rock, and sometimes borderline goth rock.

Members of The Last Cetra:

Zack Page - Lead Guitar for most songs (otherwise it's Aeris). He and Aeris dated briefly but broke up. Like No Doubt the band stayed together, and actually improved after the breakup. He's the quintessential ladies man, and dreams of being a rock star more than the others.

Nanaki FireWolf - (picture him as Gaia's version of a Native American). Nanaki plays ethnic drums, flutes, and anything else the band might need. He also does vocals as a tenor. He is quiet and shy, and is extremely passionate about his music.

Tseng Richards - Bassist and occasional vocals as a baritone. Tseng went to law school and is the oldest band member. He is also a practicing attorney, and does pro bono cases. He is stern but knows how to have a good time. He is very concerned with keeping the band together, since they are his adopted family.

Jessie Collins - Drums and alto vocals. Jessie is a free natured, happy kind of girl. She is very expressive of herself. She is politically liberal and very active. She is the most rebellious of the band members, but still keeps herself in check when she needs to.

Yuffie Kisargi - Keyboards. Yuffie has been a piano prodigy since childhood but now plays keyboards in the band to defy her overbearing father. She is very active and jumpy, and can barely hold still when performing. She loves doing keyboard/piano duets with Aeris, who is her role model.

Strife 7 - Cloud's Band. Has been topping the charts for 3 years now, and while Cloud felt in control at the beginning of his career, he now feels he's being pushed in a direction that is not of his choosing by his new manager.

Other Band Members:

Tifa Lockheart - Bassist and female vocals. Tifa is Cloud's lifelong friend and occasional fckfriend. While she harbors romantic feelings for him she won't act upon them for fear of hurting the band. If she leaves the band she wants to be an actress.

Barret Wallace - Drums. Despite losing one of his arms the fire that killed his wife, child, and best friend, he's still one of the top drummers in the world. His live performances are amazing to watch. He puts all his pain from his loss into the drums. He's raising his best friend's daughter, Marlene, as a single father. He also occasionally does rap with his mini posse, AVALANCHE (along with Biggs and Wedge).

Biggs Jagger - Backup guitar and anything else they need him to do. He's very versatile, and dabbles in many styles, including rap. He's also the band slut and he's proud of that fact. Despite his man-whoring he is a dedicated musician and he's equally dedicated to the band.

Wedge Tyler - Keyboards and backup vocals. Wedge is the comic relief among the band members. His sense of humor takes the edge off of any stressful situation. He's also the sweetest band member and donates a hefty portion of his salary to charities. He's not so interested in being a star, but in being a musician.

Elena (Flemings) Sluitskya - The reigning Queen of Pop. (insert whichever pop star you hate most here). She has very little musical ability but has a hot body and a face to put on posters and album covers. She is the big money maker for her record label, Shinra Records. However, she's been slipping in popularity recently, and that is NOT acceptable.

Reno Van Morison - Aeris and Elena's manager. His is mismanaging Aeris, forcing her and the band to work on Elena's next album to improve Elena's declining record sales. He is the typical sleazy manager, who insists on using phrases like "Kid, I'll make you a star" and "Let's do lunch."

Rufus Shinra - President of Shinra Records.

Vincent Valentine - Once the lead singer of the hottest rock band of all time, he now owns and runs Valentine Records after his vocal chords were damaged by cancer. He is still passionate about music, writing songs for his favorite bands. He is also a shrewd business man.

Sephiroth Valentine - Vincent's son and manager for Strife 7. When Sephiroth was injured in the military he was honorably discharged and began working with his father. He was given the wildly popular Strife 7 as his first job because his father felt he would be hard pressed to screw up.

Lucrecia Valentine - Vincent's loving wife and number one client. She was a big star two decades past and still performs occasionally (subtract the slutiness from Madonna and add that to Pat Benetar, with a little bit of Cindy Lauper). She scouts for new talent often.

Scarlet Westmore - the pop queen from the previous generation who doesn't know when to quit. She still has a loyal fan base but most people think she's way past her prime. She's mentoring Elena, which might be Elena's biggest problem. She's rumored to have drug problems.

Cid Highwind - "The Space Cowboy". World famous astronaut, the first man in space, and blooming country star. Works under Valentine records and hangs out often with members of Strife 7. Despite his vulgarity he is a Teflon celebrity, nothing bad sticks to him.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own not the characters, nor all of the settings, nor one of the songs. If I did, well, I'd be rich.

Warning: Sorry Cleris fans, there's a lil Cloti in this. Don't worry, this IS a Cleris story. .

* * *

Cloud slumped back in his favorite seat in the tour bus, draping a hand over his eyes as a smile played across his face. _Another sold out stadium, another spot on performance. I'd have to say this tour was a huge success. If we keep this up Strife7 be unstoppable._ His smile widened at his thought.

" Yo Spike! Get yo head outta yo ass for a minute! Biggs just got done 'talkin' to one of the backstage pass winners, and she said people usually head to this little joint called 'The Ice House' after a show. I'm in the mood for a drink or two, what about you?" Barret asked. He rotated his right shoulder, the one with his good arm, and watched his band leader in silence.

"Yeah, come on Cloud! We just got done touring and we wanna have a little fun." Biggs said, wiping lipstick off of his face and neck.

"It looks like you've had enough fun Biggs," said Tifa Lockheart, the only female in the band. She took the tissue out of Biggs' hand and started cleaning him up. "I wouldn't mind going though. Another pass winners said that a local band is going to be playing, and that they're wildly popular here. I wouldn't mind being the entertained instead of the entertainer for once," she added.

"Well why the hell not then?" Cloud said, stretching and groaning before sitting upright. "It has been entirely too long since we has a break like that." He stood up and walked over to the driver's seat." Anyone know where this joint is?"

"It's on Westmore Ave., which is off of Main St. On the right." Biggs said, finally deciding to change his shirt. "Damn, this is fire-engine red. This isn't gonna come out, is it?" he asked Tifa.

"What am I, your mother?" she asked.

"No, I _thought_ you were my kind and loving friend." Biggs puppy dog whimpered. Tifa growled, grabbed the shirt, and headed to the bathroom.

"Westmore Ave. it is." Cloud chuckled, turning on the ignition and pulling out of the parking lot.

The Ice House had once been a warehouse, back when the city of Icicle Inn had been an industrial town, not a blooming college city. UII, or the University of Icicle Inn, actually owned the Ice House. It was a large place, with a lounge area and a large dance floor. Tucked into the far corner was a stage, on which a group of people was setting up instruments.

Cloud and the gang were carded at the door, and they noticed there was a nice mix of college aged to middle adults. It looked like some kids were even there with their parents. It had a comfortable vibe, and while alcohol was served no one seemed to be making a drunken spectacle.

Strife7 got their drinks and sat at the edge of the lounge, giving them a view over the dance floor to the band in the back. A banner hung over the stage read 'The Last Cetra'. Cloud surveyed the band members. He saw a guitar player with long black hair spiked in the front rather like his. He chuckled slightly then his eyes fell on the keyboarder.

She was definitely the youngest and obviously from Wutai. Next to her another black hair man stood tuning a bass. He looked much older than her, almost twice her age. He had a strange birthmark in the center of his forehead. Talking to him was a young man from Cosmo Canyon, with dark skin, red hair, and the usual tribal dress of his people. His eyes traveled to a brunette setting up the drums. She looked about his age, and was rather cute, though she was not as cute as the girl who stepped out on the stage with a guitar, a violin case, and a bright smile.

She was petite but she had shape. She was wearing a green tank top with sequins along the hems, khaki boy cut pants, and a tan newsboy cap. The shirt matched her sparkling green eyes, the most intense, beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. He felt his mouth go dry. She stepped up the microphone and opened her pretty pink lips.

"Hello Icicle Inn! How's everyone feeling tonight?" she asked. The audience erupted into cheers. "Did everyone see Strife7 perform tonight?" She was rewarded with louder cheers which made Cloud beam with pride. "Well, I guess we're gonna have to play extra well tonight to compete. Just as a reminder, I'm Aeris Gainsborough, our fine looking lead guitar is Zack Page, our talented bassist is Tseng Richards, our fantastic drummer is Jessie Collins, our adorable keyboarder is Yuffie Kisargi, and last, but definitely least, Nanaki FireWolf plays too many instruments to name. And we are The Last Cetra!" The cheers resumed.

"What would you all like to hear?" Aeris shouted. She carefully tossed a wireless mic to the audience, and the girl who caught it smiled brightly.

"Can you do Like a Prayer? It's my favorite song!" Aeris smiled and nodded. She shuffled her feet in her shoes and the audience went wild. Cloud scratched the back of his head. _What's with the ruby slippers act? Is she nervous? No, the audience knows what's going on._ As Cloud watched she did a high kick and her right shoe went flying behind her. Jessie caught it, and Aeris kicked her left leg, and Jessie caught that shoe too. The audience went wild as Jessie started to count them down with Aeris's shoes.

Cloud chuckled loudly as the rest of Strife7 burst out laughing.

"That was awesome!" Tifa laughed. "I should try that."

"Like hell." Barret said. "I don't got two hands for catching."

"Shhh!" Cloud said. "They're starting."

**_Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone. I hear you call my name and it feels like home. When you call my name it's like a little prayer, I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there. In the midnight hour I can feel your power. Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there._**

Cloud was intensely moved by Aeris's voice and performance. He could tell, just by looking at her, how deeply immersed in the music she was. She wasn't the only impressive one. The keyboard playing Wutain was very talented. Her eyes were closed, like a piano prodigy. The drummer was obviously enjoying herself too. The two guitar players played well together, there was obvious fraternity between them. And the Cosmonian was playing with passion and dedication, the true hallmark of a musician.

**_Its like a dream, no end and no beginning, your'e here with me, its like a dream. Let the choir sing._**

At this point the audience began to sing along, and Tifa joined in readily. Cloud did as well, though softer than Tifa. He knew he was getting some stares, but most people were ignoring them in favor of the band performing. He didn't want to steal their thunder, or deal with a myriad of fans begging for his autograph.

As the band continued playing Tifa roughly nudged Cloud. "We need to call Vincent, and soon. He needs to sign these guys. They're amazing!"

"Let's wait to hear one of their orignial songs Tifa, though I know they'd receive huge brownie points for covering one of Lucrecia's hits. I want to hear whay they made on their own. Vincent isn't interested in cover only bands, even if they're covering his wife's hits." Cloud responded. Barret nodded.

"Spike's right Tifa. We needa hear what they can do on their own before we go callin' the boss. Though I gotta admit, I like these guys."

"That drummer sure is a hottie. Dizam, I wanna piece of that!" Biggs said lewdly, earning him a sock in the arm from Tifa. "Oww! What the fuck was that for?"

"Keep your tounge in you damn horndog. You've already sniffed enough skirts tonight." Tifa retorted. "And I want to here THEM sing, not you undress that poor girl with your mind."

Biggs sulked then turned to Cloud. "Come on, you'd hit that too, wouldn't you?"

"Actually, I like the lead singer." Wedge piped up and Cloud nodded in agreement.

"You two are wack. Damn. Come on Barret, the drummer or the singer?" Biggs persisted.

"Shut the hell up!" Tifa hissed, "They're doing a new song!"

"I'm old enough to be their father, so shut yo mouth, Tifa's right, yo are a horndog."

"SHUT UP!" Tifa yelled, earning them a few stares. Tifa turned red and slunk down in her seat, taking a long sip on her Twisted Midgar Tea.

"Pass the mic around, there you go. Now, what do you wanna hear?" Aeris asked. The girl who had the mic whispered to her friend, then spoke quietly.

"Well, you see, I just transferred here from Junon Tech , and my boyfriend and I decided to break it off amiably. Can you sing After Goodbye, please?" she ased hesitantly. Aeris nodded in sympathy and Jessie began to count them down.

**_Here we go again, back to enemies. Why do we play these games, you and me? We tried to make it work, but it all went up in smoke. There's precious little humor in this joke._**

_**We know it, from our past. As lovers, we won't last. How can I make you see?**_

_**I really care about you but our love never is true. You are my best friend. But can't we let this end?**_

_**We need to let this fade and die, so we can still care for each other after we say goodbye.**_

Tifa was amazed by the emotion in this song. She looked at the look on Aeris's face and the look on the guitar player's,_ Zack, that's right, _face. She knew this song was about them. A tear ran down her cheek as she realized this was also how she felt about Cloud. They're little quiet affair, which had been happening for two years now, was begjning to take its toll on her, and recently she'd admitted to herself that he didn't love her and probably never would.

Cloud sat next to Tifa, blissfully unaware of her inner pain, thinking only of how she'd been right, that they needed to call Vincent and get him to sign this band.

**_I'll always be right here, standing by your side. There to pick up all the pieces of your broken pride. But I need someone who, doesn't fool around. Who can lift my spirit so high my feet won't touch the ground._**

_**You know it, so do I. When we love we both cry. We can't let this go on.**_

_**I really care about you. You are my best friend. But our love never is true. Can't we let this end?**_

_**We need to let this fade and die, so we can still care for each other after we say goodbye.**_

_**We know it from our past. As lovers we won't last. Please tell me that you see.**_

_**We need to let this fade and die, so we can still care for each other, after we say, when we finally say, that one last goodbye.**_

As the last notes died away there was a momentary silence in the audience. Then Tifa started clapping, followed by Cloud, and eventually the entire audience. Aeris wiped a tear from her eye then gave Zack a sweet, sisterly embrace before returning to her microphone.

"Ok, that was sufficiently sad. Now someone give me a happy song to sing, so I can smile again." Aeris said as the audience chuckled and nodded.

Cloud and the others stayed for the remainder of the show, and was equally impressed by it. As Cloud walked, slowly and with determination toward the van he made a mental note to call Vincent in the morning. Not right now, since he was enjoying a pleasant buzz _Oh be honest with yourself. You're a little drunk Cloud Strife. But hey, it's ok. You're celebrating your huge ass success. Speaking of ass, I gotta tell Biggs I would tap the drummer's, cause drummers are always the easiest, right? 'Cept for us, of course, cause Biggs is the easiest, while Barret... ohh I don't wanna think about his sex life._

Cloud continued to stumble along, not even noticing when Wedge, the most sober of the group, took the keys. Cloud sat down on his favorite seat on the tour bus. "To the hotel, whoever's driving. I want to sleep." he said then looked at Tifa and winked.

When they made it to the hotel Cloud took a shower then knocked on Tifa's door. She opened it and sighed. She'd been hoping he wouldn't come to her room. The last couple of times they'd slept together she'd been left feeling emotionally empty, though admittedly physically satisfied.

Cloud didn't say anything but walked into Tifa's room and began to kiss her neck.

_I should say no._ she thought desperately as the familiar heat began to creep down her spine. The song from earlier in that night echoed like a broken record through her head as Cloud led her to the bed. Finally she gave up and responded to him. _I'll say no next time. Tonight is different. Tonight we are the hottest band on the planet, and... and... it's just different. _But as Cloud moved to enter her a tear rolled down her cheek. _Maybe tonight he'll say he loves me. _Though Tifa didn't really think he would.

Back at the Ice House, a young blond woman lowered her sunglasses and turned to the red haired man beside her.

"I want them Reno. Not those stoners from Mideel. Them." she pouted cutely at them and he chuckeled.

"Of course babe. Doesn't Reno always come through for his star?" Reno asked, in a tone of voice that answered his own question in the affirmative.

"You know you do. Now go get me that band. Do it now." she said, sipping on her Bacardi and diet coke. Reno nodded and stood up, sauntering over to the lead singer, who was still putting her instruments away. He lowered his own sunglasses and flashed her an award winning smile.

"You know you're really rather good there babe."

Aeris looked up with a start, nearly dropping her violin. "Who are you?" she asked, frowning at the man who had startled her.

"Easy babe I'm Reno Van Morison from Shinra Records. I've been scouting for new talent recently. How'd you like to sign with a major label?"

"Are you serious?" Aeris asked, sitting down heavily as Tseng came back out on stage.

"Of course babe. I wanna make you and your band here stars. How bout you meet up with me at the Snowfields Motel tomorrow at noon?" Aeris nodded vehemently as Tseng walked over.

"What did he want?" Tseng asked.

"He's gonna sign us Tseng! This is our big break!"

* * *

Yes, I DID write the 'song' After Goodbye. Reviews, reviews for the poor. Please. Since I'm now working on two stories, the next one I update will be the one that gets two reviews first. Not holding hostage, I just want to work on the story people WANT me to work on. Lubbles and Kudos!-The Catie-Cat  



	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: My name is Catie-Cat, not Square Enix. 'nough said.

Thanks are owed to DantesDarkQueen, Beeria (the Clorith Queen), and platinumOneWingedAngel, who might as well be my guardian angel. This one's for you guys, and all my other readers.

* * *

1 Year Later…

"Good morning everybody! It's another beautiful day in Midgar, if you ignore the smog, that is! Ahaha. I'm your favorite D.J. Johnny Speeder with the hottest hits of the day. We just heard Real Emotion by Elena Sluitskya and now we're bringing you Walk On Water by Strife7…" the radio was silenced by a flying flip-flop. Aeris groaned and rolled over in her bed, her hair tussled by another night of tossing and turning.

"Stupid radio. 'Real Emotion by Elena Sluitskya', ha, don't make me laugh." Aeris grumbled as she half crawled, half fell out of bed. "And Strife7, don't even get me started there."

Aeris walked out of her room into the lounge of the penthouse flat she shared with the rest of her band. Yuffie was already on the couch with a bowl of cocoa puffs in one hand and sheet music in the other, Tseng was at his laptop, reviewing his latest legal case, while Jessie was at the kitchen counter, banging on the coffee can and some tupperware with two wooden spoons.

Aeris looked at her band mates, who essentially made up her family, and bit her lip. None of them seemed to be as unhappy as she was. Sure, they were international stars now, not a basement band giving away free tees for advertisement and selling mp3s of their songs over the internet. Their debut record had been well received and sold decently, and to coin a Jessie phrase, Zack was getting more stray pussy than a city pound. But Aeris was feeling empty and unsatisfied.

_So far fame is proving to be a lousy lover._ Aeris mused as she walked into the kitchen. She opened a cupboard and pulled out a bag of Sour Patch Kids watermelon flavor and popped one in her mouth. Her mouth puckered as she sucked the sour coating off, and she received a giggle from Yuffie.

"Tee-hee, you look like a fish!" Yuffie giggled. Aeris giggled back and felt slightly better. She popped another candy into her mouth and walked over to the couch to sit next to her young companion. Yuffie had a way of making people feel better, a trait Aeris naively didn't know she shared. She leaned against Yuffie, who was now finished with her cereal, and began watching tv.

"Hello and welcome to Music Buzz. I'm Ester Morningstar, now let's do this like Brutus!"

From the kitchen Jessie grumbled. "Morningstar my ass. Her last name is Winston. I used to work with her back at the chocobo track at Gold Saucer. And that British accident is fake." Aeris and Yuffie shared a giggle while Nanaki strolled out of his bedroom with a yawn that sounded like a growl.

"'Morning friends. Where is Zack?" Nanaki asked, stretching as tall as he could. "We were planning on going over those new guitar riffs together. He needs some help."

As if he'd been summoned Zack's door opened. He stepped out shirtless and escorting a young blonde woman to the door. As the house mates rolled their eyes at him Aeris turned away in disgust.

"Thanks for last night baby. Call me."

"Oh I will. Bye babe." Zack said before closing the door. He stretched luxuriously then walked into the kitchen, throwing a slip of paper away. "Oops. I dropped her number in the trash. Oh well. What's for breakfast?"

"Whatever you feel like fixing for yourself." Tseng said, sounding droll. He shut his laptop and frowned at Zack. "I thought we all agreed no bringing people over without group consent."

"That's cause I'm the only one getting any." Zack said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"So YOU think." Jessie responded, walking over to Zack and poking him in the chest. "You're so fulla shit. You think you're the only one. Wow that's sad. You're so damn sure of yourself, aren't you?"

Aeris's face flushed at the conversation her roommates were having and turned up the tv.

"Today our guest on the show is none other than the leading man of Strife7, Cloud Strife. Welcome Cloud, can I call you Cloud?"

"Yeah, of course. Can I call you Ester?"

Aeris growled at the tv and moved for the remote, but Yuffie took it from her.

"Know your enemy, Aeris. Come on. We should watch this." Yuffie told her, hiding the remote behind her.

Aeris frowned at her friend, but she supposed it was better than listening to Jessie and Zack argue their sex lives.

"What is your opinion of The Last Cetra and the blooming popularity?" Ester asked. Cloud snorted.

"I don't know why they're so popular, honestly. Ever since the debut of their album all that Aeris has done are duets with Elena. I was hopeful they would turn out to be a good rock band, but it turns out Aeris is just another of those talentless pop princesses. It's a real shame. She had a lot of promise."

Aeris leapt from the couch and stormed out of the room. Tseng hurried out to follow her while the others stared at the television and the blonde haired, blue eyed celebrity who had just insulted their dear friend.

"Aeris." Tseng said, causing her to move even faster. "Aeris!" he pressed on. Tears ran down her cheeks as she moved into the stairwell. "AERIS!"

Tseng caught up with her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. Since the death of her father at the age of seven Tseng had been her father figure, so she didn't resist him at all. Aeris leaned her head on his shoulder, tears streaking down her cheeks, trembling gently.

"Aeris…" he said softly, stroking her hair.

"Tseng…" she responded. "… He doesn't even know me. How could he say those things about me?"

"I don't know Aeris. I really don't know. Don't let it bother you. It's really not important, trust me."

"He's sullied my image Tseng. He's so popular… he might even take my fans from me. He could have hurt all our careers."

"I very much doubt that. If anything he'll alienate fans that we have in common with him. Aeris, I know what he said was painful and entirely uncalled for, but I also know that you are a beautiful, intelligent, talented woman, and it shows in everything you do."

Aeris bit her bottom lip then nodded. "You're right Tseng. You're very right. Thank you, I needed to hear that." Aeris gave him a kiss on the cheek and pulled away from him before walking back to their room. Neither of them noticed the camera man several flights down on the stairs walking away with a huge grin on his face.

::MEANWHILE::

"Well, that's all the time we have for today! Thank you so much for coming on our show today Cloud. And remember to join us next time on Music Buzz! Is the camera off? Is it?" Ester asked, her smile fading and her accent dropping. "Good. Well, thanks so much Cloud."

Cloud nodded and rose as a stage hand removed his microphone. As soon as all the wires were off he walked off the set to where Tifa and Biggs were waiting for him. Biggs was ogling a pretty young intern while Tifa was giving him the frown. Cloud sighed and steeled himself for the coming storm.

"You shouldn't have said that Cloud." Tifa said, crossing her arms. Biggs took this as his cue to leave, and actually approached the intern while Cloud sighed and scratched the back of his head in irritation.

"Shouldn't have said what exactly Tifa. I said a lot you know. About our upcoming album, about our tour last year, and about Biggs' legal troubles with that harassment lawsuit." Cloud answered.

"You know what I mean Cloud. Why did you attack Aeris like that?"

"Attack? More like told the truth. She's a sellout Tifa."

"Why, because she signed with Shinra Records and not Valentine records? You know the deal was sighed the day after that concert, before we even had a chance to call Vincent. You act like she was stolen from you."

"She's a sellout because when her debut album didn't sell well enough she abandoned her style for a better selling one. Doing duets with Elena Slut Sky? Gimme a break, if that's what she set out to do I'd respect her more. Why'd she pretend to be something else?"

"Why do you think she was pretending?" Tifa snapped. "You saw her at that performance; it didn't look like an act!"

"That just means she's a very good actor!"

Tifa sighed in exasperation. "Did you ever stop to think it might have more to do with the fact that they share a manager? Perhaps she's being led in that direction!"

Cloud shook his head not because her argument hadn't made sense but because he didn't want to accept it. It was hitting just a little too hard at the moment. Especially at that moment as his manager was approaching down the hallway.

"Good interview Cloud, but I told you to flirt more, didn't I? I thought we covered the fact that we're going for the ladies' man look."

Cloud bit back the short tempered sigh that hovered in the back of his throat.

"Listen Sephiroth, Biggs is more than ladies' man enough for our band."

"Biggs is not the lead man Cloud." Sephiroth responded, though his meaning was _Biggs is not the star. _Cloud knew that was how Sephiroth felt. Yes, the band was named after him, but Strife was just a good name for a band. It was better suited to a band than a person. Sephiroth wanted him to hog the lime light, but Cloud knew it would never work.

"It's your face out there on magazine covers, on billboards, in the lockers of high school girls." Sephiroth continued, but this only made Cloud even more tempted to sigh, or worse, react with rage. "It's your voice that girls swoon over, and when they write their names on the covers of their notebooks, it's as 'Mrs. Cloud Strife', not 'Mrs. Biggs Jagger.' Understand what I'm saying?"

Cloud gave a curt nod then glanced at the clock on the wall. Tifa and Sephiroth looked too.

"Listen, it's after 1 now and I'm hungry. I'm going back to my apartment for some food; don't expect me to come by Headquarters anytime today."

"Strife." Sephiroth warned.

"Cloud…" Tifa pleaded. But Cloud ignored them both and walked out of the building, hailing a cab. Perhaps that was the best part about being a celebrity. You never had to wait for a cab.

After eating his lunch alone in his apartment Cloud tried to write some new lyrics. He quickly realized he wasn't feeling it at the moment, or at least, he wasn't feeling the boozing, babe hunting, bacchanalian behavior Sephiroth so desperately wanted to incorporate into his image. Cloud eventually walked away from his desk in disgust and looked out of the window of his penthouse apartment.

All he could see for miles around were the grey steel buildings, the grey concrete streets, and the grey sky. Grey, grey, grey, just like he was feeling inside. Grey about his career, grey about his image, and grey about his relationship with Tifa. He didn't dare admit it to her, but for the past year every time they had sex he'd felt emotionally drained, and left wanting. Oh sure, physically it felt great, it was the best sex he'd ever had. But his heart, which had never been into it, was now actually suffering. He didn't know what to do.

Suddenly his phone rang, physically jarring him from his gloomy thoughts. He considered not answering it, but when he saw it was Cid he thought _why the hell not._

"Hey Cid."

"Hey Chocobo Head. How the hell's it goin'?"

"Fine." Cloud lied.

"Good. Listen, I'm in town and I'm in the mood to do some drinkin', shoot the shit, an' even maybe play a couple rounds of pool. You game, you ol' sonuvabitch?"

"Sure, why not. Where do you wanna meet? Not the bar at Headquarters."

"Naw, not with all the white collar bastards drinking their brandy and discussing politics. Fuck no. Gimme a cold whisky and some blue collar fellas, know what I mean?"

"Sure. How bout that little joint offa Lark Street, the Seventh Heaven?"

"Sounds great. See you in a few." Cloud said before hanging up. As he shrugged into his jacket he gave a short sigh, and prayed that a talk with Sailor-Mouth-Cid would be just the thing to clear him of his blues.

_Sephiroth would even approve. I'm going out boozing. Hell, maybe I'll pick up a random broad off the street._ Cloud laughed out loud at the thought before he headed out the door.

Three minutes after he left his phone rang. The caller i.d. said Tifa Lockheart. It rang once, twice, three times, eventually nine times before she hang up the phone and hung her head.

"Damn it Cloud. Just… damn it."

* * *

For the intuitive reader, yes, the d.j. was supposed to be Johnny, Cloud and Tifa's childhood friend who receives a flower from Aeris in the beginning of the game. . As always, show your love with a review people, and I'll return it with another update. After I update To Keep Her Promise, of course.


	4. Chapter 3

Please forgive the long break between updates. I've had a very rough month of May, including the death of my boyfriend's younger brother in a car accident. I haven't felt very inspired. I'm back now, and I'll try to be more regular with my updates.

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. The lyrics are from Sleeps with Butterflies by Tori Amos. Don't sue, I'm too poor.

* * *

Chapter 3

It was nine in the morning, and Aeris was hiding in one of the little recording studios at Shinra Record Headquarters. She sat at the piano, playing the same depressing chord over and over again as the metronome ticked in a steady but discordant rhythm. She desperately wanted to start work on a new song, but the muses were dancing further and further out of her reach as the combination of the chord and metronome drove them away and hypnotized her. The metronome seemed to be ticking away the seconds of her life as she wasted it here, hiding from her friends, and the chord played out her sorry state of mind.

"Aeris?" Yuffie asked, poking her head into the room. Aeris actually let out a startled little scream, and her fingers scrambled along the keys, creating a horrible noise and knocking the metronome to the floor where it stopped.

Yuffie turned red and began apologizing. "I'm so sorry Aeris. I didn't mean to startle you! Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm ok. I guess I just got lost in my thoughts. Did you need something from me?"

"Yeah, Reno wants to start the meeting. He told me to come get you."

"Alright." Aeris sighed, rising from the piano. "Let's get this over with," she added, stepping over the metronome and walking out of the room. The metronome ticked one last time rebelliously as Aeris shut the door.

::MEANWHILE::

Cloud woke in a dark room. It didn't feel like his bed, it didn't smell like it either. In the fog of a raging hangover he couldn't immediately place the smell either. There was a knock on the door and he rolled over to find Tifa coming in with a tray of toast, coffee and juice.

"I thought you might like some breakfast. How are you feeling?"

"I didn't think it was possible for anyone to get that drunk." Cloud mumbled. Then he looked up guiltily. "We didn't have sex last night, did we?" he asked. Tifa frowned at him.

"Of course not. You came here slobbering drunk and I dragged you into my bed then slept on the floor. I was afraid you might be sick during the night, so I kept an eye on you.

"Oh. Good," was all he could say. Tifa stared at him incredulously then slammed the tray on the bedside table before slamming the door shut. Cloud wondered why she was so upset. Suddenly music began to pound from the living room, a familiar song, Tifa's Angry Song.

"Go now, if you want it. An otherworld awaits you. Don't you give up on it. You bite the hand that feeds you," the song screamed under the door. Cloud frowned and sat up. He wanted to remember what happened the night before, but the hangover wouldn't let him. He picked up the mug of coffee and sipped it gingerly. Slowly the caffeine waged war with the alcohol and eventually won.

::The Previous Night::

Cloud walked into the bar wearily. Cid had told him it was a blue collar bar, but he couldn't be sure that there wouldn't be young girls in there ready to mob him for an autograph. He looked around and saw a sea of mostly men in the distinct clothes of a mako reactor worker. All of the women in the bar seemed to be in their thirties at the least. Cloud breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey Blondie, get over here!" Cid shouted from the bar. Cloud couldn't bite back a slight chuckle. He walked over to Cid's right and tugged on the older man's hair.

"Who you calling Blondie? You're as blonde as I am." Cloud responded.

"Alright kiddo, you win that round." Cid conceded, still unable to resist using a nickname to respond to his young companion.

"Um, excuse me. Are you that Cloud Strife guy from that band?" a man in his mid forties asked Cloud slightly embarrassedly. Cloud nodded.

"Yeah, that's me. What can I do for you?" Cloud asked.

"Um, I have a fifteen year old daughter who's in love with you. She'd never forgive me if I ran into you and didn't ask you for an autograph. If it's a bother it's ok, you can say no," the man said, and though Cloud had been hoping to avoid this, he knew if the man went home with a story of how the snooty celebrity had shot down a simple request for an autograph he might lose a fan, so Cloud gave a brisk nod and pulled a cocktail napkin over to himself.

"To my fan…" Cloud began then looked up at man's face.

"Oh, um… Penelope."

"Penelope. Yours, Cloud Strife." Cloud said, and then handed the cocktail napkin to the man. The man nodded and quietly thanked him and returned to his drink in the corner. That was the last question Cloud asked save for the bar tender's "What'll ya have bub?"

"You should have a rye and coke like me." Cid said, and Cloud knew the Space Cowboy better than to argue. He nodded then hooked his thumb at Cid.

"I'll take what he's having."

The bar tender raised an eyebrow at him and shook his head. "I guess it's true, people pick their own poison."

Cloud didn't know what to make of that until he was handed his drink. It had no ice in it, and he gingerly took a sip. He barely managed to keep the grimace off his face. It was piss warm and tasted like medicine, sickly sweet and yet strongly of alcohol. He took a larger sip, keeping his face clear of emotion. Cid watched him for a moment then slapped him on the back.

"Takes a little getting used to, but you've got balls man. You can handle it. I'm proud of ya. This one's on me Tony." Cid said to the barman. Cloud allowed himself a weak smile.

"Hey Cid, how bout a game of pool?" Cloud asked. "Loser buys the next round."

Cid snorted. "That's no big deal. It's only two drinks," he responded. Cloud shook his head.

"No, I meant for the whole bar. At least, anyone who's interested." Cloud responded, just loud enough for the people around him to hear. Cid grinned and slammed down his drink.

"Alright, now _there's_ a challenge. I accept." Cid said, standing up and cracking his knuckled. "Get ready to have your ass whooped kiddo."

"You get ready to have yours whopped, Old Man." Cloud responded, and the other patrons turned to the pool table, ready for an interesting show.

Cid grumbled as his handed over a substantial amount of money to the bar tender. Cloud was on his third drink and smiling a little crookedly.

"Told you I'd whoop your ass." Cloud said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," was all the response Cloud got. After he finished handing over the Gil Cid turned to Cloud.

"I saw you on TV. today. It's actually what got me to call ya," he continued.

"Oh?" Cloud said, looking into his drink.

"Yeah. You shouldn't have attacked The Last Cetra like that." Cid said. Cloud cursed and shook his head. This is not what he needed right now, a lecture from one of the foulest mouthed, controversial celebrities on the planet.

"I'm serious. You don't need to start a band rivalry. It doesn't serve anyone in the end, and it's likely to tear both bands apart. I've seen it happen dozens of times." Cid pressed on.

"Damn it Cid. Sephiroth would say that any publicity is good publicity."

"This is a first, you blindly listening to your manager. Come on, do you really expect me to buy that? Trust me boy. You don't need to do a big public apology, just lay off. Don't make it a personal crusade to discredit Aeris and The Last Cetra."

"Why shouldn't I?" Cloud asked. "What's in it for me?"

"If you promise to lay off I'll stop talking about it." Cid said. Cloud lifted his drink and clinked it against Cid's.

"Cheers to that my friend." Cloud said, silently vowing to renege on his promise as soon as Cid left town again. _Shouldn't be too long, _he thought, sipping his drink, which by now was somewhat tolerable. _He's not a big city man. Soon he'll long for his ranch out in Rocket Town and I can say whatever the hell I feel like saying._ Cloud allowed himself another crooked smile and ordered another drink. They weren't half bad when you were half drunk.  
A song started on the radio and though Cloud wasn't very interested in it, for some reason it wouldn't be ignored.

_Airplanes take you away again. Are you flying above where we live? When I look up a glare in my eyes. Are you having regrets about last night? I'm not but I like rivers that rush in, so I dove in. Is there trouble ahead, for you the acrobat? I won't push you unless you have a net._

_You say the word you know I will find you. Or if you need some time I don't mind. I won't hold onto the tail of your kite. I'm not like the girls that you've know, but I believe I'm worth coming home to, kiss away night, this girl only sleeps with butterflies, so go on and fly then, boy._

Cloud couldn't have told anyone where he heard that song before, only that it was pleasant, and at one time he'd really liked it. The alcohol was bogging down the gears in his mind already, but the song cut through the fog and was prominent in his mind. Trouble was he couldn't remember anything about it.

Suddenly a scowl appeared on his face. The realization had finally caught up with him… this was one of the songs from The Last Cetra's debut album. Cloud downed his new drink in seconds and ordered another one. Tony looked at him skeptically but made him one, which he took too quickly.

"Whoa, hey there Cloud. Slow down." Cid said. Cloud shook his head angrily.

_I'm not like the girls that you've know, but I believe I'm worth coming home to, kiss away night, this girl only sleeps with butterflies, so go on and fly, boy._

"Damn lousy singer with her damn lousy song." Cloud muttered. Cid shook his head.

"Damn boy, you couldn't keep your promise for one night. You've got it bad, don't ya?"

"Got what?" Cloud asked, turning his head with exaggerated slowness to face Cid. Cid shook his head. _Boy's dense enough when he's sober._

"You like her. And you're mad at her because you like her. You feel betrayed 'cause she sings on your rival label. I can't believe I didn't see it sooner."

"Shut the fuck up Cid! You don't have any idea what you're talking about. She's a damn sell out whore, just like her buddy Elena! Like I'd ever even consider… damn Cid!"

Cid rose quietly, shaking his head.

"Kid, I'm not gonna sit here and let you yell at me. You go ahead and call me when you can behave like a grown up. Be sure he takes a taxi home Tony. He's too drunk to drive." Cid said, paying his tab and walking away.

"Fuck you!" Cloud shouted at Cid's back, before ordering another drink.

"You're last one of the night sir. Then I'm calling you a cab."

"Fuck." Cloud said quietly.

::At Shinra Record Headquarters::

"Alright, so, what do you got for me there babe?" Reno asked, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet on the conference table. Aeris wrinkled her nose delicately.

"Um… we haven't got anything new ironed out yet. Nothing ready for the recording studio just yet." Aeris said in a small voice.

"Tch tch tch." Reno said. "It's been nearly a year and you have nothing new yet?"

"Well, nothing new that's ready." Aeris repeated, feeling like a student dealing with a vindictive teacher. Reno sighed and shook his head dramatically.

"Well, I guess we could have you guys work on Elena's next album in the meanwhile."

"We're really not interested in working on another of Elena's albums." Tseng said, and around the table the other band members nodded.

"Look, do you guys want to lose your edge? Do you want to go soft? You have got to stay in the headlines or you're not gonna make it. You've got a good fanbase, yes, but the overall public just hasn't formed a strong enough opinion of you yet."

"That's why we feel it would be unwise to change our direction right now. We're not a pop band Reno. We're a rock band." Jessie said. Reno stared at her with a contemptuous look.

"Well maybe the public doesn't really like your rock sound. Maybe if you switch gears for awhile you'll find a better niche for yourselves. Your fanbase likes you enough to stay loyal, and you'll pick up more new fans. Trust me, babe, I've been in this industry a lot longer than you have."

"Why you condescending…" Jessie began.

"Jessie." Aeris warned, but suddenly the door to the conference room burst open. Elena hopped in, the shitzu in the bag on her arm looking harassed and waving a paper.

"Ooh Aeris, I'm so proud! You broke your cherry!" she exclaimed, continuing to jump up and down. Aeris turned bright red at that proclamation as everyone else in the room stared at her in puzzlement.

"What are you talking about Elena?" Aeris asked.

"You lost your virginity! The paperatzi caught you at last! Finally! I was beginning to wonder if they ever would. Now you're a true celebrity!" Elena began to giggle as she tossed the tabloid at the table.

Reno picked it up first and looked at the cover before he chuckled and passed it to Aeris.

The headline of The Midgar Enquirer said "New music senstation Aeris Gainsborough caught in romantic moment with fellow band member Tseng Richards." Aeris looked at the photo of the two of them in her apartment stairwell. It was from yesterday, when she'd been so upset by Strife's comments on TV. She began to read the article.

"… Aeris has admitedly dated another band member, Zack Page, going so far as to write a song about it. It seems her taste for familiar company is strong, as photo evidence shows her in a romantic embrace with Richards, and staff at her apartment complex report seeing her holding hands with Nanaki Firewolf. 'She seems determined to bed them all.' said a staff member who wishes to remain unidentified…"

Aeris threw the paper away from herself in disgust and rose from the table.

"Where do you think you're going, babe?" Reno asked.

"To the practice room," she said, before slamming the door.

* * *

Reviews appreciated. I will update this fic soon as I update my other one. Hopefully before next weekend.

:loves:

Catie Cat


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